Billet centering apparatus



Feb. 15, 1944. R DEWEY 2,341,602

BILLET CENTERING APPARATUS Filed June 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RAYMOND E. DEWEY wim, ay

RNEYS Feb. 15, 1944.

R. E. DEWEY BILLET CENTERING APPARATUS Filed June 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RAYMOND E DEWEY m m 9&

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 15, 1944 nun-:1" crm'rmmo arraaa'rps Raymond E. Dewey. Shelby, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Seamless Tube Company, Shelby, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 21, 1941, Serial No. 399,167

- 9 Claims.

This application relates to a billet centering apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved arrangement of apparatus for forming an opening in a billet centrally of an end thereof prior to forming the billet into a seamless tube.

Billets which are to be formed into seamless tubes on a piercing mill are cylindrical in shape and it is desirable that the billet be formed with an opening centrally of an end thereof prior to being taken to the piercing mill. In order that the material of the billet will be distributed uniformly about the piercing point of the piercing mill. it will be apparent that such opening must be accurately located centrally the billet end.

One of the dimculties encountered in practice, aside from variations in billet diameter, is the considerable variation in the length of the billets that require to be handled in such centering operation, for example from 15 inches to 9 feet. Thus a pusher type feed, such as an air-actuated plunger involves the use of accessory parts, with frequent changes, to accommodate such different length of billets. Also the billets are not always straight as they com from the heating furnace, particularly in the case of longer-billets. and if such a bowed billet is supported against longitudinal movement from its rear end, it becomes difllcult properly to center the opening in its front end.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus for forming an opening in the end of a heated billet which may be employed readily in connection with a part of the conveyor system used to deliver the billet from the heating furnace to the piercing mill. Such conveyor, it will be seen, automatically and without adjustment, can handle a billet of any length within the maximum length.

A further object of this invention is to provide in apparatus of the character referred to. clamping means forengagement with the forward end of a billet which is arranged with respect to a part of a conveyor system so that a billet thereon will be disposed endwise with respect to the clamping means, together with mechanism for forming an opening in the end of the billet while held by the clamping means. By clamping and holding the billet thus at its forward end, the centering of the opening is unaffected by any bowing or crookedness in the body of the billet.

A further object is to provide a novel clamping device, engageable with an end of a billet supported on a part of a conveyor system, which is operable to move the billet to a predetermined position with respect to its conveyor support upon movement of the clamping device into clamping engagement with the billet.

A further object is to provide in apparatus of the character referred to, a device for forming an opening in the end of a billet together with operating means therefor which is responsive to the operating means for the clamping device employed to hold the billet during the formation of the opening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and, related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. the following desoription and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention; a

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the pneumatic air hammer as shown in elevation in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the billet clamping device and operating means therefor.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the letter A designates, as a whole, a part of a conveyor system adapted to deliver a heated billet endwise to a clamping device indicated, as a whole, by the letter B. The clamping device B is adapted to clamp the end of the billet in which the opening is to be formed and is operable to move the billet into a predetermined position with respect to the conveyor part A. A device C is employed in connection with the .clamping device B for forming an opening in the end of the billet while it is held by the clamp B in a predetermined position on the part A.

The conveyor support or part A comprises spaced parallel side flanges I rotatably carrying a plurality of conveyor rollers 2. The flange l are carried by supporting members 3 and 4. One or more of the rollers 2 are preferably powerdriven by a chain 5 operated'by an electric motor 6. The end i of the part A is arranged adjacent the discharge opening 8 of a furnace, a part 9 of the heating furnace being shown in Fig. 2. The heated billets are forced endwise out of the furnace 9 through the opening 8 onto the supporting rollers 2 of the conveyor part A. After delivcry of the billet onto the supporting rollers 2, the supporting rollers 2 driven from the motor 6 will be operative to move the billet into engagement with an abutment ill for a purpose to be described. After the clamping device B has operated to clamp the billet, and the device C has operated to form an opening in the end thereof, the clamp B is operated to release the billet which best shown in Fig. 4. In this showing, the clamping device comprises oppositely disposed parts I! and it mounted for sliding movement transversely with respect to the conveyor part A on ways it and it mountedbetween spaced vertical supportingplates ll. Each of the parts I! and II is provided with a removable billet engaging clamping member II. The surface engaging parts it of the clamping members II are shaped to correspond to the contour of the billet, and upon movement into clamping engagement with the billet, are operable to cover approximately 90 per cent of the circumference of the billet.

Each of the parts I! and it is pivotally connected to a link II, which in turn is pivotally connected to an end of -a lever rotatably mounted on a pin Ii extending transversely of and carried by the plates it. The other ends of the like levers 20 are each pivotally connected to a link 22, which in turn is pivotally connected to an end of a lever 23 rotatably mounted on a pin 24 extending transversely of and carried by the plate is. Rotation is imparted to the operating lever 23 through a rocker arm 25 connected thereto. The rocker arm 2! is pivotally connected to a piston rod 28 which is operated by an air cylinder 21 pivotally carried by a trunnion support as.

The pivotal connection of the piston rod 1| to the rocker member 25 and the trunnion support 28 for the cylinder 21 cooperate in enabling a rocking movement to be imparted to the arm 2! upon operation of the piston It by the cylinder 21. Upon operation of the cylinder 21 to move the piston rod 28 outwardly, the operating lever 23 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, and through the links 22, the operating lever 23 will be effective to rotate the levers 2' in opposite directions to move the parts I! and II toward each other and to move the clamping members I] into clamping engagement with an end of-a billet positioned therebetween. By reason of the arrangement of the operating parts for the clamping members II, the amount of movement imparted to each of the clamping members will be equal. In this manner. the clamping members I! will be operative to move the billet to a predetermined position with respect to the conveyor support A and with the axis of the billet lying in a vertical plane, indicated ditically by the center line 29, containing the axis of the pin II.

The clamping surfaces it of the clamping members il cooperate in aligning the axis of the billet in the plane 29; By reason of the fact that the clamping surfaces It cover 90 per cent of the circumference of the billet. the members II are operable to compensate for any irregularities in the surface of the billet while permitting suiiicient play to insure movement of the members i1 into clamping engagement.

As best shown in Fig. 3, a punch it is provided for forming the opening in the end of the billet heldbytheclamph. 'lhepimchllismoimted for axial movment through a suitable opening formed in the abutment II, and has its axis positioned in the vertical plane 20 containing the 'axisofthebillet andthepinfl. A'connecting member ll isprovided for connectingthepimeh titothepistonrodllofapneumaticairhammer. Theairhammercofiiprieesacylinderu in which is mounted a piston 84 for imparting movement to the piston rod 8!. Suitable valve 3| is provided for controlling the admissionofairtothecylinder fromanair line. Theairhammerlncludingthecylinder l3 and thevalve 3| is a conventional type formingnopart-perseofthisinvention. Itwillbe suiiicienttopoint outthatthevalve llisprovided with a piston control member 81 adapted to alternately connect the ends of the cylinder It matlcally the arrangement of apparatus for trolling the operation of the air cylinder It the operation of the hammer a. In this ing, a valve I! is provided for controlling admission of airunder pressure to linu 41 from a suitable source of air under sure (not shown). The valve ll may be of conventional type readily purchasable on market for alternately connecting one of lines it andtltothesourceofairpressure the other of the lines to the atmosphere.

EEEE

engagemen with an end of a billet. The line II for operating theairhammerisshowninl'ig. iconnectedto thelinell. Areliefvalvellisprovidedintbe line it for preventing p tion of the hammer ltbytheadmissionofairpressuretheretounder certain conditions. The relief valve 48 is of a type adapted to alternately connect the line It with the line 41 and with the aflnosphere, and is provided with a predetermined bias main tainingthe valve in a position disconnecting the line 41 from the hammer 38. Upon admission of airtothelinetL-thepressurethereinwilinot build up until the clamping members II have the punch II from imparting movement to the billet.' The valve 48 is of a conventional con. struction readily purchaseable on the market, and accordingly has not been illustrated in detail. The arrangement of the valve It and the line It with respect to the line 41 prevents an untimely operation of the cylinder 38, and makes operation of the cylinder 33 responsive to operation of the cylinder 21. Inthis manner, the punch II will not be operated prior to movement,

clamping en- 'nect the line 35 to the atmosphere and release the pressure within the cylinder 83. Immediately upon release of the pressure within the cylinder 33, the spring 45 will be operative to withdraw the plunger 30 to the D Bitlon shown in Fig. 3. The withdrawal of the punch II in this'manner enables the members II to be operated immediately to lift the billet out 'of engagement with the rollers 2 and onto skids or other suitable conveying mechanism for transmission to the piercing mill. It will be apparent that if the punch 30 were left in the opening formed in-the end of the billet, damage would be caused to the end of the billet upon operation'of the lifting members ll.

It will be recalled that the clamping members I! are operable to move the billet to a position with its axis lying in a plane containing the axis of the punch 30. The clamping members or laws H are also removably secured to the parts I! and It in order that members having different shaped clamping surfaces It may be inserted for engagement with billets'of various sizes. Since the level, at which a billet of any size will be supported,'is fixed by the top supporting surfaces of the rollers 2, it will be apparent that the lower edges 50 of the clamping surfaces 18 will occupy substantially the same position regardless of the size of billet to be clamped. This will be understood by reference to Fig. 4 wherein the dotted lines i811 indicate the position of the clamping surfaces It for a smalle size billet. Although the parts I2 and I3 through the clamping members II will be operative "to align the axis of the billet with respect to the vertical plane 29, it will be apparent that the punch 3| must be adjusted in a vertical plane'according to the size of billet being operated upon.

The mechanism for imparting vertical adjustment to the punch 30 is best shown in Fig. 2. In this showing, the punch operating mechanism C is mounted on a support 5| mounted for vertical.

movement with respect to a support 52 rigidly secured to the foundation structure 53. The support Si is provided with parts 5| mounted for vertical movement in guide slots 55 formed in the stationary support 52. The parts 54 and 55 guide the vertical movement of the support 5| and prevent horizontal movement thereof. The support 5! is provided with inclined surfaces 55 slidably engageable with members 51 carried by an actuating member 58 mounted for horizontal sliding movement on the support 52. In this manner, the members 51 are, in effect, camming members operable to impart vertical movement to the support 5i and punch operating mechanism upon horizontal movement being imparted to the support 58.

A manually operable device 59 is rotatably carried by the stationary support 52 and has a threaded shaft 50 engageable with a part inent from the foregoing, and it will be sufllcient' to point out that a billet delivered from the fur nace I onto the rollers 2 will be carried by the power-driven rollers into engagement with the abutment ll. Upon movement of the billet into engagement with the abutment Ill, the valve may be operated to admit air to the cylinder 21 for moving the clamping members into clamping engagement with the end of the billet. Such engagement, as pointed out, is effective to align the billet in a predetermined position with respect to the conveyor support A and the punch 80. As the members ll move into clamping engagement, the valve 45 will automatically function to start operation of the hammer 38 to cause the punch III to form an opening in the end of the heated billet. After the opening is formed, the valve 45 will be operated to move the clamp- 4 ing members l'l out of engagement with the end of the billet and to stop operation of the hammer 38 permitting withdrawal of the punch ll by the spring 48. The members ll may then be operated by mechanism (not shown) through a control 62 therefor adjacent the control 45 shown in Fig. l to remove the billet from the rollers I for continuing its conveyance from the furnace to the piercing mill. 7

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is provided apparatus which is operable to form an opening centrally of an end of a heated billet in an extremely short period or time at a minimum of expense. It is merely necessary to installthe clamping device B and punching mechanism C ,in such a position that the conveyor mechanism employed for conveying a heated billet irom a furnace to the piercing mill will deliver the billet endwise to the clamp B at a point during transit .of the billet to the piercing mill. After installation it will be apparent that about the only additional cost of operation, involved will be the air necessary to operate the fluid pres- 45 sure cylinders 21 and 33. The controls for these fere substantially with the continuous flow of tegral with the movable support 55 for impart'-"' ing a controlled movement to the support 58. Upon a change of clamping members II, the device 59 will be operated to adjust the punch ll in a vertical plane to align the axis thereof with billets to the piercing mill.

The adjustments necessary to adapt the apparatus for use with different size billets are extremely simple. In the event that the size of operate the manual control 59 to adjust the vertical position of the punch 30 so that its axis will be positioned in a horizontal plane containing the axis of the billet as it rests on the rollers 2.

It will be particularly noted that the conveyor part A cooperates with the clamping member B and punching mechanism C in that it supports the billet at a predetermined level during the punching operation and is operable to delivera billet endwise into engagement with the abutment l0 intermediate the clamping jaws ll. The clamping mechanism B cooperates with the parts A and C in that it aligns the position of the billet in a vertical plane with respect to the con-- veyor A for operationthe'reon-b'y the punch C.

Other modes of applyin the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described. provided the,

prising, in combination, a support adapted to support a billet thereon at a predetermined level, clamping means for holding the billet a ainst longitudinal movement with respect to said support, means including a part relatively movable in an axial directibn with respect to said clamping means for forming an opening in an enact the billet, said clamping means having oppositely disposed parts movable toward each other into clamping engagement with the billet, said parts being operable upon movement into clamping engagement to move the billet into a position with its axis lying in a vertical plane containing the axis of said axially movable forming part, and means for adjusting said forming part with respect to said vertical plane to align its axis with the axis of the billet held by said clamping means, said adjusting means comprising a vertically movable support carrying said forming means, a horizontally movable support carrying said vertically movable support. a fixed support carrying said horizontally movable support, and means operable upon movement of said horizontally movable support relative to said fixed supp rt to impart vertical movement to the support carrying said forming means. a

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising. in combination, a support in the form of a conveyor adapted to move a billet longitudinally, an abutment adapted to retain the billet against such movement in one direction, clamping means adjacent to but independent of said abutment adapted to laterally engage the corresponding end-portion only of the billet and hold the billet against movement in either direction, and means for forming an opening centrally in such billet prior to drawing the latter into a seamless tube, said means including a punch movable in an axial direction with respect to such billet-end while held by said clamping means.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a support in the form of a conveyor adapted to move a billet longitudinally, an abutment adapted to retain the billet against such movement in one direction, clamp"- prising. in combination, a support in the form of a conveyor adapted to move a billet longitudinally, an abutment adapted to retain the billet against such movement in one direction, clamping means adjacent to but independent of said abutment adapted to laterally engage the corresponding end-portion only of the billet, and an air hammer provided with a punch movable inan axial direction with respect to such billet-end while held by said clamping means, said air haminer being bodily vertically adjustable to align said punch with the center of such billet-end.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a support in the form of a conveyor adapted to move a billet longitudinally. an abutment adapted to retain the billet against such movement in one direction. clamping means adjacent said abutment adapted to engage the corresponding end-portion only of the billet and hold the billet against movement in either direction, said clamping means including replaceable jaws to fit billets of different diameters the lower engaging surfaces whereof lie in the plane of said billet support, and means for forming an opening centrally in such billet end prior to drawing the billet into a seamless tube, said means including a men movable in an axial direction with respect in such billet-end while held by said clamping means.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a support for a billet, clamping means adapted to laterally engade one end-portion only of the billet while resting on said support, said clamping means including replaceable jaws to fit billets of different diameters the lower engaging surfaces whereof lie in the plane of said billet support, and means for forming means adjacent to but independent of said abutment adapted to laterally engage the cor-, responding end-portion only of the billet and an air hammer provided with a punch movable in an axial direction with respect to such billetend while held by said clamping means.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a support in th form of a conveyor adapted to move a billet longitudinally. an abutment adapted to retain the billet against such movement in one direction, clamping means adjacent said abutment adapted to engage the corresponding end-portion of the billet and hold the billet against movement in either direction, and means for forming an opening centrally in such billet end prior to drawing the billet into a seamless tube, said means including a punch movable in an axial direction with respect to such billet-end while held by said clamping means and said means being adjustable to align said punch with the center of such billet,- end.

5. Apparatus of the character described coming an opening centrally in such billet end prior to drawing the billet into a seamless tube, said means including a punch movable in an axial direction with respect to such billet-end while" billet and hold the billet against movement ineither direction, means for forming an opening centrally in such billet end prior to drawing the billet into a seamless tube, said means including a punch movable in an axial direction with respect to such billet-end while held by said clamping means, and means adapted following the release of the billet from said clamping means to remove the billet transversely from said conveyor for transmission to a piercing mill or the like.

9. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a conveyor adapted to receive a billet from a furnace and move the same longitudinally away therefrom, an abutment limiting such movement, means adapted to engage the forward end of such billet and form a an opening in such end while the billet is conmill or the like.

RAYMOND E. DEWEY. 

